Decades after the Triffids have taken over vast portions of the Earth, David Masen wakes in total darkness – has the Blindness returned?

When one character in a drama is forced to explain that the Isle of Wight isn’t hell-bent on world domination, you know you’re listening to something rather unusual (for the benefit of our American readers, it’s the rough equivalent of saying a similar thing about a small Amish community). Simon Clark’s sequel to John Wyndham’s classic The Day of the Triffids adopts the same sort of serious tone that Wyndham’s own books had, and lends itself to audio adaptation, albeit not in the traditional Big Finish full cast/no narrator manner. In fact, more than anything else, this reminds me of the Dangerous Visions strand of Radio 4 plays from the last couple of years, done with Big Finish’s production values.

Sam Troughton makes a good David, while Nicola Bryant makes the most of a number of dramatic opportunities as the many-sistered Kerris Baedekker. Paul Clayton does double duty as David’s father, Bill – the protagonist of the original novel – and the unpleasant General Fielding, not going over the top with the latter, despite the character’s somewhat melodramatic plans.

John Ainsworth directs from Clark’s own script and keeps things moving; there are some great sound designs from Martin Montague (love the Triffid stinger – and the way that its effect is layered for the larger beasts encountered near the end of the story).

There are various loose ends at the conclusion of the story; it would be interesting if this team could put together a third – audio-only – Triffid story to round things off.